The chief prosecutor of Brazil has officially accused former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro of planning a coup after he lost the 2022 presidential race.
Five accusations have been brought against the 69-year-old for allegedly attempting to stop President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his successor, from taking office after a controversial election.
These charges include conspiracy to poison Lula and assassinate Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court.
Bolsonaro, meanwhile, denies any wrongdoing and claims he is a a victim of political repression.
The Supreme Court will now consider the prosecutor’s recommendation. Bolsonaro and 33 other people will be legally charged and put on trial if the case is accepted.
Due to allegations that he weakened Brazilian democracy by making false claims that the electronic votes used in the October 2022 election were susceptible to fraud and hacking, the former president has already been disqualified from public office for eight years.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, also known as Lula, won the hotly contested election by a slim margin.
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Bolsonaro never publicly conceded defeat and departed Brazil for the United States two days before Lula’s inauguration.
On January 8, 2023, his supporters stormed government buildings in the capital, Brasilia, ransacking parts of the buildings and prompting the arrest of 1,500 rioters.
Reports Released By Federal Police
Three months prior to the formal charges, federal police released a report accusing Bolsonaro of playing a leading role in planning and organizing an attempted coup, including proposing the idea to key figures in the military, to prevent Lula from assuming power.
The charging document alleges that a criminal organization led by Bolsonaro himself was responsible for actions that undermined democratic order. This signifies the commencement of legal proceedings, and Bolsonaro is likely to face trial.
One of the charges involves the crime of “armed criminal organization,” allegedly led by Bolsonaro and his vice-presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto.
Attorney-General Paulo Gonet Branco stated that the alleged plot included a plan to poison Lula and assassinate Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a frequent target of Bolsonaro’s criticism.
“Allied with other individuals, including civilians and military personnel, they attempted to prevent, in a coordinated manner, the result of the 2022 presidential elections from being fulfilled,” he said.
Brazilian media outlets report that the Supreme Court is expected to proceed with the trial later this year.
The reaction to the prosecutor’s decision reflects the enduring deep divisions that have characterized Brazilian politics for the past decade.
While government supporters are celebrating and calling for the former president’s imprisonment, the opposition maintains his innocence.
The focus now shifts to the potential impact of the Supreme Court’s decision on next year’s presidential election. Recent opinion polls indicate record levels of disapproval for President Lula.
Despite being barred from running for office, Bolsonaro remains a significant political force in Brazil and could potentially use the trial as a platform to advance his agenda.
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